You have insurance. You have savings. Can you survive a medical emergency without debt?
Why medical debt is about more than budgeting.
You can go to an in-network hospital but be treated by an out-of-network doctor. You have no control over this, but you get the bill.
The average deductible is over $1,700. Most Americans don't have that in savings. One emergency wipes out years of saving.
Medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the US. 66.5% of bankruptcies are tied to medical issues.